Beverage cooler

ABSTRACT

The application discloses a seamless, corrugated paper container having a top opening larger than its base and therefore capable of being nested with like containers. There is disposed therein a keg, bottle or the like of beverage desirably maintained in a cool state. The container may be coated with a moisture proof plastic and a coolant, such as ice, is disposed between the keg and the inner wall structure of the container. The latter is provided with a breakable aperture portion to receive a spigot assembly which communicates with the interior of the keg. The container also has a weakened area to receive, if desired, a drain hose, such area being below the expected water level of the container when the ice is substantially melted. Alternatively, the container is usable as an ice bucket in which case the weakened portions are not broken through.

Unite States atent 3,443,397 5/1969 Donovan et al 62/400 FOREIGN PATENTS101 ,963 5/1965 Denmark 229/24 Primary Examiner-Donald F. NortonAttorney-Borst & Borst ABSTRACT: The application discloses a seamless,corrugated paper container having a top opening larger than its base andtherefore capable of being nested with like containers. There isdisposed therein a keg, bottle or the like of beverage desirablymaintained in a cool state. The container may be coated with a moistureproof plastic and a coolant, such as ice, is disposed between the kegand the inner wall structure of the container. The latter is providedwith a breakable aperture portion to receive a spigot assembly whichcommunicates with the interior of the keg. The container also has aweakened area to receive, if desired, a drain hose, such area beingbelow the expected water level of the container when the ice issubstantially melted. Alternatively, the container is usable as an icebucket in which case the weakened portions are not broken through.

PATENTED FEB 2 |97l SHEEI 1 BF 2 ATTORNEYS 5 M m w R m J I n m JBEVERAGE COOLER The application relates to containers and. inparticular. to containers having as their principal function to providea device for storing a coolant and a st substance to be maintained in apartially refrigerated state.

According to the present invention there is provided a paper containersufficiently capacious as to house a small beer keg presently availablein chain stores and the lie like which is in heat exchange contact witha coolant material such as ordinary ice The container provides abreakthrough perforated area in its sidewall so as to support a spigotin communication with the keg and, if desired, a second breakthroughaperture to which may be secured a drain hose sufi'iciently hear thebottom thereof to drain off substantial amounts of water expected toaccumulate as the ice melts. The container is seamless and coated so asto be leak proof and its top is larger than its bottom portions fornesting purposes.

One object of e the invention is to provide a leak proof container,coolant and beverage holder in combination which is capable of drawingof? beverage as desired and at the same time permitting a drain-off ofthe coolant.

A second object of the invention is to provide a container as abovedescribed which is capable of alternative usage as an ordinary icebucket.

Other objects and advantages of the invention may be appreciated onreading the following description of one of its embodiments which istaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

H6. 1 is a paper blank which is formed into the seamless containeraccording to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective vie w of the container; and

HO. 3 is an elevation in section showing the container and keg assembly.

Referring to the drawings the container 1 is formed of a corrugatedpaper 2. The sides 3, 4, 5 and 6, are formed on bottom fold lines a, b,c, and d, respectively, defining a base 9. In each case the comers aremade by bringing together fold lines b and f by folding triangularcorner pieces 7 and 8 on fold line g. The folded comer members thusformed are held in position by top edge sealers 10 and a seamlesscontainer is thus produced.

weakened apertured portions and 21 are provided in the paper 2 as shownin FIG. 2 in the formed container Within the completed container 22 is akeg 23 of beverage, such as beer. A spigot 24 communicates with the kegthrough aperture 20a in the container, said aperture having been formedby punching out the portion 20 in the corrugated paper. Similarly asecond aperture 21a is formed in the container by removing the weakenedportion 21 so as to receive a drain-off hose 25. A space is providedbetween the keg 23 and the container to receive ice the melt o of whichis allowed to drain through the hose 25 having a flared end 25a when thecombination is thus used. The draw drain hose 25 in its aperture fromthe interior of the formed container preferably by employing a tapereddowel 26 on the outer end for the purposes of forming the aperture toproper size for a watertight fit of the hose therein. So that theapertured 21 can be located on the inside of the container, it can bepunctured from the outside, as by the dowel, prior to insertion of thehose i'nteriorly.

Alternatively, if it is desired to use the container as an ordinary icebucket, the weakened portions 20 and 21 remain as originally formed inthe paper. The buckets can be nested due to their truncated design.

Various modifications of the invention may be effected by personsskilled in the art without departing form the scope and principlethereof as defined in the following claims.

Iclaim:

l. A paper blank out of which is formed container for cooling otherliquid beverage or other liquid having fold lines defining anintermediate square area in said blank to constitute the base of thecontainer, a set of three fold lines from the center of said blankextending to each comer of the bland blank, said container thus beingfashioned with seamless corners and a pair of weakened circular areasformed in said blank proximate one of the base forming fold lines withone of the weakened circular areas being nearer said base forming foldline than the other, whereby said container to be formed may be usedoptionally as a conventional ice bucket or a device for cooling abeverage keg with the beverage being drawn off through one of saidcircular areas formed into an aperture and the melted coolant thereforbeing drawn off through the other circular area having been similarlyapertured.

1. A paper blank out of which is formed container for cooling otherliquid beverage or other liquid having fold lines defining anintermediate square area in said blank to constitute the base of thecontainer, a set of three fold lines from the center of said blankextending to each corner of the bland blank, said container thus beingfashioned with seamless corners and a pair of weakened circular areasformed in said blank proximate one of the base forming fold lines withone of the weakened circular areas being nearer said base forming foldline than the other, whereby said container to be formed may be usedoptionally as a conventional ice bucket or a device for cooling abeverage keg with the beverage being drawn off through one of saidcircular areas formed into an aperture and the melted coolant thereforbeing drawn off through the other circular area having been similarlyapertured.